Episode 1542 (8 December 1997)
Synopsis Grant gets fed up with Peggy and when she's out of earshot tells George to do them all a favour and remove her from the Vic. Peggy is arranging a big "family" dinner for Christmas Day, having seemingly forgotten last year's fiasco. George presses Peggy on the subject of marriage and she says that he hasn't even got a house yet, so why hurry it, and let's not spoil what they have. George takes this as a cue that he will have to find a house for them before he gets any further with his requests. Simon meets up with his old friend Jonathan from Manchester, the ex-lover of the AIDS victim whose funeral he attended. Chris is there too, and Simon assumes that they're an item, but eventually he's told that Chris was in some sort of AIDS worker helping dying people, as well as being homosexual himself. Tony excuses himself from the gay party, saying he has to work, as Polly is coming round to help him. Irene buys them a bottle of wine, thrilled that Tony has stood Simon up in favour of Polly. Simon, Jonathan and Chris go to a gay bar and Chris and Simon chat about babies and show each other wallet photos of them - Simon's being of Courtney. They seem to have a lot in common and Chris gives Simon his phone number at the end of the evening, saying he knows no-one in London and for Simon to call him if he's available, and that it was a pity Tony couldn't come as they had fun. Simon says he wouldn't have enjoyed it, he's not into "fun". Alex is unwisely wandering around the Square, alone and he gets some choice comment from Ian about his plan to house criminals in the Square. Alex replies "I thought the East End had a tradition of helping the needy and homeless. Obviously it's long since dead." Bianca hears when the post-mortem for the abortion will be, and mopes around looking ugly and repulsive. Ian interviews Mary with a vast list of questions and scenarios about looking after the children, adding at the end that she will also have to guard them from their mother. He offers her 90 quid a week, and he will pay her NI, etc, but she jumps in with her own job terms, which is that she would prefer a live-in position instead. Ian agrees and says as soon as Pauline agrees, she can move in. Mary goes back to Pauline, who says at least she'll be able to come home in the evenings, and Mary tells her that she won't because Ian insisted that she live in. Polly and Tony have a cosy evening on the sofa with the bottle of wine, and Irene appears after a short while with another bottle for them! Polly says they might as well drink it and they flirt saying that it must be all the drink. Irene sees this and is even more pleased that her plans seem to be working. Annie has a go at George about becoming respectable, planning on buying a house, etc, and says maybe he is losing his touch - and if it's for Peggy's benefit had he considered that maybe women like the danger? She asks if he's thinking of retiring, and says that if she were his son, he'd have already handed the business over to her without question. Phil goes to the club, looking very smart again, and even Grant comments before he leaves that he looks like he's trying to impress someone. Annie moans to him about her day, and how George is keeping her out of the juicy parts of the business, and she wants a piece of the action before he gives up all his "interesting" business deals for the boring legitimate ones. In the Vic, Irene and Terry meet Conor who is reminiscing about Mary, and says that at least he is here for her now, and some parents just leave their kids when they're young and the poor children get into drugs and picked up by deviants. Irene takes this as a personal insult, and storms out, even though Terry tells her to calm down. Meanwhile, Tony is at a table with Polly, agreeing not to get involved again, but to be good friends, and they decide to go on to a club now that the Vic is closing. Irene returns home, where Simon has also just returned, and wondering where Tony has got to, as the Vic is shut. Irene bitchily says that Tony is doing just what he should be - he is out with a girl, and they've gone on to a club or something, and he's just doing what he does every time Simon's back is turned. Simon asks her what she means by this, but she realises that she's gone too far, and tells him to ask Tony if he wants to know about his relationships. Credits Main cast *Grant Mitchell - Ross Kemp *Peggy Mitchell - Barbara Windsor *Phil Mitchell - Steve McFadden *Annie Palmer - Nadia Sawalha *George Palmer - Paul Moriarty *Simon Raymond - Andrew Lynford *Tony Hills - Mark Homer *Irene Hills - Roberta Taylor *Alex Healy - Richard Driscoll *Bianca Butcher - Patsy Palmer *Ian Beale - Adam Woodyatt *Mary Flaherty - Melanie Clark Pullen *Pauline Fowler - Wendy Richard *Polly Becker - Victoria Gould *Conor Flaherty - Seán Gleeson *Terry Raymond - Gavin Richards Guest cast * Chris - * Jonathan - Category:Episode Category:1997 Episodes